WHAT IS IT SO HARD TO RELAX? We have all been there: We are physically and emotionally exhausted and in desperate need of rest but unable to relax enough to sleep. You might also power through a rough week at work, looking forward to a weekend of peace and quiet only to find yourself struggling with feeling too irritable and anxious to enjoy your downtime. What is happening? Stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, sending certain hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol skyrocketing. This is part of the sympathetic nervous system, and it is balanced by the parasympathetic nervous system, which is also called the rest-and-digest system. When you are struggling with chronic stress, your cortisol levels may remain high, leaving you unable to relax enough especially if you are actively trying to relax. In other words, your focus on relaxing is causing you even more stress, trapping you in an increasingly stressful cycle. Source of content https://www.renewed-edge.com/relaxation-hypnotherapy-in- hong-kong-putting-the-brakes-on-stress/